I have had no news from you for a long time. Things are none too
good. Strictly speaking, during the last few months following the arrests,
you have no ... no collegium for organisational work. This is simply an
impossible situation. I think you should co-opt 3–4 St. Petersburg workers
(including a shop-assistant) as has been rightly pointed out.... You won’t
be able to get things moving otherwise. The co-opted men should be kept
strictly separate and apart from the co-operative board and the legal
enterprises. Answer quickly. We have asked for someone to be sent here, but
so far there is no reply.

Further—we earnestly ask you to put us in touch directly with the
P. C. This is extremely important. Then, as regards the
“transporter”. Has No. 1 of the Bulletin been received? What’s
happened to the man, why doesn’t he write? Things have been at a standstill
for close on a month. It’s unpardonable. Make inquiries, find out—is he
safe, alive? Kostya should know what his name is.

Finally, about money, too, we would ask you to answer:
1) What definitely have you learned about Pryanik? Find out and hurry them
up. Has a round been made of the rich to collect money? Write about
this...[2] We are absolutely moneyless, and haven’t a penny for
organisational trips and all organisational work. There are people who
could be utilised ... but owing to the lack of funds we cannot do anything
so far. Write whether you are satisfied with Volkov, whether things have
been put right, particularly the speeches.

Notes

[2]This refers to the raising of funds for organising a Party congress. An
agreement on financial subsidies was reached with certain leaders of the
liberal-bourgeois party of Progressists, notably with A. I. Konovalov
(“Pryanik”) (see Istorichesky Arkhiv No. 6, 1958, pp. 8–13).